Reflector button sign



y w. B. WELLS 1,918,727

REFLECTOR BUTTON SIGN Filed July 28, 1932 Q r INVENTOR lVes/eq B. l l lls BY QQW HIS A TTORNE Y Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE WESLEY B. WELLS, OF 'WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH 8t SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA Application filed July 28,

My invention relates to reflector button signs. g I will describe one form of reflector button sign embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

Inthe accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing one form of sign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on, the line II-II of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4.- are front 'elevational, and side views, respectively, ofthe letter R forming part of the sign illustrated in Figs. 1 an 2. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing on an enlarged scale one of the reflector buttons forming part of the sign illustrated 1n Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Reflector button signs, as they have heretofore been most generally constructed, usually comprise a sheet metal front plate, painted with vitreous enamel or an air drying or a baked enamel, to form a background of one color, and letters or characters of a contrasting color, suitable holes being pierced in the front plate within the outline of the letters or characters to receive the reflector buttons. -When signs of this type are painted with vitreous enamel, the letters or characters can be formed with the desired sharp and defined'edges apparently at a reasonable cost, but considerable difliculty is experienced in constructing the signs with the holes properly centered on the stroke of the letter and in properly coating the front plate at its edges and at the edges of the holes which are provided for the reflector buttons. Furthermore, vitreous enamel has a tendency to chip at the corners and ed es of the sign, and if the sign is damage in any way, it cannot'be repaired. Signs of the type described which are painted with an'air drying or a baked enamel, are not subject to the same construction difliculties as those painted with vitreous enamel, but in constructing a sign painted with an air drying or a baked enamel,

REFLECTOR BUTTON SIGN 1932. Serial No. 625,259.

if a good enamel is used which will stand outdoor service, the letters or characters have to be painted on the front plate by hand, and before this can be done, it is necessary to either lay out the letters by hand or with stencils, or else raise or emboss the letters on the front plate, both of which methods are costly. In order to eliminate the undesirable features just enumerated in signs of the type described, I propose to construct the letters or characters of the sign out of separate pieces of sheet metal or other suitable material, and to attach them to the front plate by means of the reflector buttons as Will now be more fully described. I

Referring to the drawing, the typical sign here illustrated is adapted to display the warning danger, and comprises the necessary letters of the alphabet, each formed of a separate piece of relatively thin sheet steel or other suitable material. These letters are each similar to the letter R shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 1, and are attached to a suitable front plate 1 in the proper spaced relation by means of reflector buttons 2 which pass through aligned holes in the letters and the front plate. The reflector buttons maybe of any suitable type having thenecessary means for clamping the letters to the front plate but, as here shown, each of these buttons is a separable button comprising a suitable lens mounted in a cup; shaped metallic'shell in front of the usual reflector (not shown). Each shell is provided at its outer end with a shoulder 2 which engages the outer face of the associated letter, and at its rear end, with removable fastening meansincluding a spring 2 and a detachable locking sleeve 2. Each locking sleeve 2 is adapted to cooperate with two diametrically opposite lugs formed on the rear end of the associated shell, only the one lug on each shell being visible in the drawing, and each sleeve is so constructed that when the sleeve is turned to either of two positions relative to the associated shell, which positions are 180 apart, the sleeve may be pushed onto the shell past the lugs, and that after the sleeve is pushed onto the and inasmuch as their detailed'construction forms no part of my present invention, it is deemed unnecessary to describe it here.

Surrounding the outer edge of the front plate 1 is a removable border 3' comprising, as here shown, angle sections 3 and 3 and corner members 3. .The angle sections 3? are secured to the front plate intermediate their ends by means of spaced bolts 4, and at their ends by means of the corner members 3 ,'which corner members also fasten the angle sections 3? to the front plate. The corner members are fastened to the front plate by means of bolts The bolts 5 further serve as ameans for fastening the front plate 1 to a back 6, which back, in turn, is fastened to a suitable supporting pole or mast 7 by means of bolts 8, brackets 9, and U bolts 10. The back 6, as here shown, consists of a metal plate 6 having its edges 6 bent at right angles to fit insideof the rearwardly extending legs of the angle sections 3 and 3". I

With the sign constructed in the manner just described, the front plate 1 will usuallybe painted one color and the letters and the border a contrasting color. Since these parts are all separate, they can be painted before the sign is assembled in the most convenient manner, such for example, as by spraying them with a spray gun or by dipping them in a vat of paint, and the most suitable type of paint can be used for each part. The cost of painting is thus reduced to a minimum, which being one of the largest costs in the manufacture of signs of this type, materially reduces the cost of the sign. Furthermore, with the sign constructed in the manner just described, the detachable letters give the effect of embossed letters, and since the are protected from damage by the front p ate, they may be painted with vitreous enamel if desired.

A still further advantage of signs constructed in the manner just described is that it is a simple matter to paint the sign in service, as it is only necessary to paint'the front plate around the letters.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of reflector button signs embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope holes which align with the holes of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sign comprising a front plate provided with a plurality of holes, a letter provided With a plurality of holes which align with the holes in said front plate and re flector buttons passing through the aligned holes in said letter and said front plate and provided with means including a detachable locking sleeve for fastening'said letter to said front plate.

2. A sign comprising a sheet metal front plate provided with a plurality of holes, a

sheet metal letter provided with a plurality of holes which align with the holes in said front plate, and reflector buttons passing through the aligned holes in. said letter and said front plate and provided with means including a spring and a detachable locking sleeve for fastening said letter to said front plate, said letters and said front plate being painted contrasting colors.

3. A sign comprising afront' plate provided with a plurality of holes, a letter pro vided with 'a plurality of holes which align with the holes in said front plate, reflector buttons passing through the aligned holes in said letter and said front plate and pro vided with means for fastening said letter to said front plate, a removable border for said front plate comprising angle sections and corner members, bolts for fastening said border to said front plate, and a back secured to said front plate by means of certain ones of said bolts, said back comprising a plate having its edges bent right angles to fit within said border.

4. A sign comprising a front plate provided'with a plurality of holes, a sheet metal letter provided with a plurality of in said front plate, and reflector-buttons, passing through thealigned holes in said letters and said front plate, each said reflector button comprising light reflecting means mounted inacup-shap'ed shell provided at its forward end with a flange which engages the outerfac'e of the associated letter and at its rear end with removable fastening means including a spring surrounding the shell between the rear face of the'front plate and a detachable lockingsleeve which cooperates with lugs provided on said shell, said lugs and said sleeve being so designed that saidsleeve may be secured to said shell by pushing the sleeve onto the shell in an axial direction in a predetermined position of the sleeve relative to the shell and then rotating the sleeve-th-rougha predetermined angle about the axis of the shell.[

wnsLEY B. WELLS. 

